A New Hampshire resident has died after contracting Eastern Equine Encephalitis, commonly known as EEE, state health officials announced Tuesday.
The person, who lived in Hampstead and has not been identified, had been hospitalized with the mosquito-borne illness that can attack the central nervous system.
The death comes as one resident each in the neighboring states of Vermont and Massachusetts have also tested positive for EEE. Dozens of batches of mosquitoes tested across all three states have also confirmed the presence of EEE.
There is no vaccine or effective treatment for EEE, and approximately one-third of all people who contract the disease through a mosquito bite will die, according to state public health officials.
“We believe there is an elevated risk for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus infections this year in New England given the positive mosquito samples identified,” said New Hampshire's state epidemiologist, Dr. Benjamin Chan. “The risk will continue into the fall until there is a hard frost that kills the mosquitos.”
The last known EEE cases in New Hampshire were in 2014, when three people were sickened, leading to two deaths.
Hampstead Health Officer Kris Emerson said residents in that community are encouraged to wear bug spray and limit their time outside during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
“I‘ve been advising residents, as well, to try and eliminate any standing water on their properties, whether it's in a wheelbarrow, a bucket or a birdbath,” Emerson said.
In Massachusetts, multiple communities are deploying aerial insecticides to limit the spread of EEE, and are also imposing curfews on public parks.
Emerson, the health official in Hampstead, said that at this time there is no plan to begin spraying insecticides. He noted that while the resident died from EEE, there have been no positive tests of mosquito batches in Hampstead, so it isn’t yet clear where the person contracted the virus.
According to state health officials, symptoms of EEE include fever, chills, muscle aches, and joint pain. It can also cause neurological diseases including encephalitis and meningitis.
